Our Mission and Vision

Children's Melanoma Prevention Foundation's mission is to prevent skin cancer one child at a time through education and advocacy.

By maintaining and developing a strong and diverse leadership, CMPF will be able to raise the appropriate funding to further the organization's mission; thereby protecting children from the most common cancer in our society and reducing morbidity and mortality from skin cancer. CMPF will increase its impact through its strategic partnerships, thereby leveraging its financial resources more efficiently.

About Us

Children's Melanoma Prevention Foundation (CMPF) is a non-profit educational foundation established in 2003, to educate children and the people who care for them about sun protection and skin cancer prevention and to advocate for laws that protect children from developing skin cancer.

Growing Up at the Beach: Why I Founded The Children’s Melanoma Prevention FoundationBy Maryellen Maguire Eisen

I grew up in Marine Park, NY, a section of Brooklyn. Believe it or not, that area bears strong resemblance to where I live now in Crow Point on Boston’s South Shore. There were beaches, marshes and a harbor to explore in this wonderful waterside community.

Our life as kids did not resemble an episode of Mad Men in any way, even though it was the 1960's. My mom was a teacher, and during the summers, we all enjoyed piling along with our friends into our station wagon for long days of fun in the sun. Along with the bologna sandwiches and fruit juice, Coppertone was in the beach bag but it was used more as a tanning aid than a sunscreen. Over the years, we had a lot of fun but suffered major sunburns, many of which were of the blistering variety.

As I grew up, I decided to pursue a career in nursing following in the footsteps of one of my favorite characters in the Cherry Ames novels that I enjoyed reading during those lazy days. I had no way of predicting how this career choice would positively impact my family’s health over the years.

In 1977, my mother developed a “changing” mole that she showed to her doctors. She was told not to worry because the mole was not new. Fortunately for us, I invited a young friend, who had just started his dermatology training, to a family dinner. Across the dinner table, Charlie calmly asked, “What’s that on your mother’s neck?” The very next day, he assisted with the surgery and was not surprised at all by the diagnosis of melanoma.

Our story was a lucky one because my mom survived her melanoma due to an incidental encounter. Charlie had saved my mom’s life by detecting her melanoma in an early stage. Once melanoma develops past those early warning stages, the consequences of this disease can be painful and fatal.

For years, I wanted to do something to give back to others in return for my mom’s healthy outcome. I eventually realized that the best thing I could do to prevent the consequences of melanoma would be to teach children about sun protection. In 2003, I started the Children’s Melanoma Prevention Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to “preventing skin cancer—one child at a time!” Each year, we spend over 150 days in local classrooms, sailing centers, and at community events providing our signature, SunAWARE Program to over 80,000 children. Our website provides free educational resources for children and teachers. We have partnered with US SAILING, nursing organizations, and other non-profits to expand our reach. Each year, we lecture to over 1,000 nurses, teachers, coaches, and instructors throughout the U.S.

This education is important for children because sunburns are all too common and melanoma although uncommon is increasing among children. A recent study (Wong, 2013), found that melanoma was increasing in American children 10 times faster in northern latitudes (especially Massachusetts!) than southern. This is why we teach children about the factors that affect UV intensity and skin sensitivity, as well as proper sun protection and skin cancer recognition. We want children to understand that UV rays are stronger in May than they are in August and that UV intensity is not related to temperature. Our goal is to prevent sunburns, a major risk factor for developing melanoma later in life.

Crow Point is a wonderful place to live because of its easy access to beautiful beaches and the harbor. My hope is that I can educate your children, wherever they live, about enjoying the outdoors safely. Learn more about our fun and informative SunAWARE Program or to download our free SunAWARE children’s books. Remember any one can develop skin cancer, anywhere on their body!

Executive Board

Sara Mason Ader, BSJ, MALD is a freelance writer and editor based in Hingham. With a specialization in the field of financial services, Ms. Ader's work includes diverse writing and editing assignments for various publications and businesses.

Dr. Jeremy Warhaftig, MD is a board certified pediatrician and Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. He is the Chief of Pediatrics at South Shore Medical Center in Norwell and Kingston, Massachusetts.

Rachel Ader is a Hingham High School student who became involved with the foundation because she understood the importance of being SunAWARE and wanted to spread the message about protecting young skin from harmful UV rays.

Maryellen Maguire-Eisen RN, MSN is an oncology and dermatology nurse with over forty years of experience.Ms. Maguire-Eisen is an Adjunct Clinical Instructor at Boston University, an American Cancer Society Scholar and the winner of multiple service and research awards. She has written extensively on skin cancer prevention and has lectured internationally on sun protection and skin cancer prevention with a special focus on children. Ms. Maguire-Eisen is the founder and Executive Director since 2003.

Sara Mason Ader, BSJ, MALD is a freelance writer and editor based in Hingham. With a specialization in the field of financial services, Ms. Ader's work includes diverse writing and editing assignments for various publications and businesses.Ms. Ader's educational background includes a bachelor's degree in journalism from the Medill School at Northwestern University and a master's degree in international affairs from the Fletcher School at Tufts University. She served as a Director for ten years and was elected Chair in 2018.

John Ripple is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at Exonics Therapeutics.

Prior to joining Exonics, Mr. Ripple was CEO at several other biopharmaceutical companies. He currently serves on the Board of Overseers at the Marine Biological Laboratory (Woods Hole, MA) and as an advisor to the MIT Deshpande Center for Technological Innovation. He received a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Bucknell University and an MBA from Harvard Business School. He has served as foundation Treasurer since 2017.

Ellen S. Callahan comes to us from the financial services sector where she held various research, managerial and operational positions over 30+ years.

Ellen holds a Masters degree in Library and Information Science (MLS) from Simmons College and an undergraduate B.A. in English from U.N.H. Ellen brings diverse industry experience to CMPF after working for firms such as Bain & Company (~2 years), Putnam Investments (13 years) and Fidelity Investments (17 years). In her most recent SVP role at Fidelity, she managed a 60-person multi-disciplinary team comprised of research librarians, vendor contract lawyers, web developers/system analysts and market data analysts who provided direct support to the investment professionals (e.g., portfolio/fund managers, research analysts, sector specialists, etc.).

In addition, she was one of the main sponsors for Employee Engagement initiatives in her division and an active member of the Mentor Programs. While working full-time, Ellen attended various CMPF fundraising events over the years and expressed a genuine interest in becoming more involved in the foundation once she retired from the workforce. As a mother of 2 young adults with fair skin and blue eyes, Ellen has long appreciated the mission of CMPF. Living on the Cape and being the daughter of a redhead (and being a redhead herself), she has been personally touched by melanoma in her family and wants to devote time and energy in her retirement to supporting the mission of CMPF.

Anthony Drapos B.A. is a Sales Specialist at Aurora Diagnostics, a leading independent pathology services and cancer Diagnostics Company.

Prior to joining Aurora, Mr. Drapos spent several years with GE Healthcare in cardiovascular technology sales. He began his career in pharmaceutical sales specializing in dermatology. Mr. Drapos serves on the Parish Council at Saint Spyridons Cathedral in Worcester, MA. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Assumption College and brings 15 years of sales experience and community service.

Richard Eisen, MD is a board certified dermatologist and Fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology.

He is the founding physician of South Shore Skin Center in Plymouth and Cohasset, Massachusetts. Dr. Eisen has held teaching positions at Boston University and Tuft's Medical Center. He is a recognized expert in prevention and early detection of skin cancer. His practice is known in the Boston area for providing the latest in innovative technologies to diagnose and manage skin cancer. He has lectured both locally and nationally on melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer. He joined the Board as the Medical Director in 2006.

Kathy Dalziel Howie is a Trustee Assistant to the Founder of an Investment Advisory Company in Boston.With over 30 years’ experience in financial services, she has served as a Human Resource Director/Office Manager at a Fiduciary Trust Company in Boston and as Assistant to an Investment Representative. In 2013, Ms. Howie’s father was diagnosed with melanoma and died of the disease just three years later. Ms. Howie vowed to do something to honor her Dad and keep his memory alive. She went on to sponsor SunAWARE classes at Sacred Heart Elementary School in Kingston and joined CMPF’s event committee and was elected to the Executive Board in 2018. She is passionate and determined to teach others that skin cancer can be prevented – something she and her dad wished they had known.

Gus Naughton is a software engineer at GE Digital, who has worked as an engineer on global Air Traffic Control systems, and is a speaker on early career growth.

Mr. Naughton has been involved with melanoma prevention since he was a child, co-illustrating the book "What Are These Spots On My Skin" which has since been translated into 4 languages and is internationally distributed. Mr. Naughton has received education from both the University of Washington-Seattle and Clarkson University, and specializes in technical strategy and startups.

Lori holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Curry College and has over 10 years of nursing experience. She is a member of the Dermatology Nurses Association and regularly attends skin cancer conferences. She also brings extensive experience in community fundraising programs and projects. Ms. Skinner joined the Board as a Director in 2009.

Dr. Jeremy Warhaftig, MD is a board certified pediatrician and Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. He is the Chief of Pediatrics at South Shore Medical Center in Norwell and Kingston, Massachusetts.

His favorite part of his job, is watching children and their families mature and thrive over the years. He received his B.A. from Dartmouth College and attended University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. He completed his Pediatric Internship and Residency at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Dr. Warhaftig joined the Children’s Melanoma Prevention Foundation Board in 2015. As the parent of 3 fair skinned children, Dr. Warhaftig understands the importance of enjoying the outdoors but to do so wisely and safely. He is passionate about prevention. Many of the chronic conditions that affect adults have their onset in the habits that are established in childhood and melanoma and other skin cancers are no exception. Dr. Warhaftig has been very impressed with the tools and educational materials from the CMPF and has been sharing them with patients in his practice. He hopes to use his expertise as a primary care pediatrician to help further the mission of CMPF and to spread the word about making sun awareness a priority topic that he and his colleagues share with their patients.

Rachel Ader is a Hingham High School student who became involved with the foundation because she understood the importance of being SunAWARE and wanted to spread the message about protecting young skin from harmful UV rays.

As a redhead with a family history of melanoma, Rachel knows her own skin is at high risk for the disease and she works hard to make sun safety a priority for everyone. Her other interests include music and travel.

Mary M. Barrow has long been an advocate for skin cancer prevention.She is the retired co-founder of Coolibar, a sun protection clothing company, as well as the past Executive Director of SunAWARE, a not-for-profit organization. Barrow was co-author of 'Sun Protection for Life: Your Guide to Healthy & Beautiful Skin’ where she introduced the acronym AWARE to organize the steps suggested for comprehensive skin protection. Since then, she has co-authored several children's books with Maryellen Maguire-Eisen using the 5 easy SunAWARE action steps.

Renee Banks is a student at Regis College working toward her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree.

Renee is a student nursing assistant at Good Samaritan Medical Center in Brockton, MA. She is an advocate for melanoma prevention and created a skin safety program for children in 2014. She is excited about working with Children’s Melanoma Prevention Foundation because she loves children and understands the importance of skin cancer prevention. Having lost her loving grandfather from melanoma in 2008, she knew she wanted to make melanoma education and prevention her life mission.

Tori Carpenter is a Bridgewater State University graduate with a B.S. in business management/marketing.

She is currently continuing her studies at Bridgewater with the intent to pursue a career in the medical field. Tori has experience organizing community-based fundraisers through work with local organizations and college internships. She is also active in many of her local community events and tends bar on the weekends in her home town, Plymouth, MA. Tori was diagnosed in 2016 with metastatic melanoma at the age of 25 and is currently undergoing treatment. Being diagnosed with metastatic melanoma in her mid-twenties was a devastating and life-changing event but it has also led to a newfound passion for patient advocacy and skin cancer prevention. Tori is deeply committed to CMPF’s mission to educate children across our communities on the importance of sun awareness and regular skin checks. She is eager to share her experience and expertise to help others in both her personal and professional lives.

Rebecca Hartman, MD, MPH is a board-certified dermatologist and Fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology.

She is an instructor of dermatology at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, MA and also practices clinically at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. In addition to practicing general dermatology, she specializes in melanoma and skin cancer screening and treatment. She has a strong interest in public health and skin cancer prevention and early diagnosis, conducting research and publishing in these areas.

Representative Kate Hogan is in her fifth term as State Representative for the Third Middlesex District, representing the towns of Bolton, Hudson, Maynard, and Stow. In 2015, Rep. Hogan was appointed Chair of the Joint Committee on Public Health, where she and committee staff oversee all health-related matters that come before the legislature. In addition to leading the Joint Committee on Public Health, Rep. Hogan currently serves as the Chair of the Library Legislative Caucus and a Co-Chair of the Elder Caucus. In each of these roles, Rep. Hogan has been a tireless advocate for building our local economy, a steward of our public libraries, and a voice for our elders and most vulnerable. Rep. Hogan attended UMass Amherst.

Prior to her first election in 2008, she worked as newspaper publisher and spent many years as vice president of sales and marketing for a print and design company. As a legislator, Rep. Hogan believes her job is to create consensus, build alliances, and work toward solutions that will benefit her district and improve the quality of life for all citizens in this great Commonwealth.

Susan Keyes BA, M.Ed. was the Chair of the Foreign Language Department of Hingham Public Schools until her retirment in 2016.

Prior to teaching, she worked in the financial services industry specializing in taxable fixed income. She is a survivor of malignant melanoma having been diagnosed in 1995 and again in 1997. Ms. Keyes served on the Board of Directors from 2012 to 2017. She played an integral part in our 2017 strategic planning and has assisted in teaching, fundraising, and program implementation. Ms. Keyes has joined the Advisory Council to assist in program development and curriculum review.

Tricia Kradolfer graduated from Mount Ida College with a Paralegal degree.

She worked at South Shore Skin Center between 2015-2017. During that time she became aware of the dangers of indoor tanning, sun damage and the rising rates of skin cancer. She became a Friend of the Foundation assisting with community and fundraising events. As a member of the Advisory Council, she tirelessly supports our organization by attracting new sponsors, soliciting auction items, and coordinating event volunteers.

Clair Lombardo BS, M Ed., is the Science Chair at Sacred Heart High School in Kingston Massachusetts where she teaches both Environmental and Marine Science.

She received her undergraduate degree from Indiana University achieving a Bachelors of Science in Microbiology. She worked in the private sector on projects in organogenesis and skin grafting. She went on to earn a Master’s degree in Education at Lesley University. She has been a teacher for twenty-six years and on faculty at Sacred Heart for 3 years and the Science Chair since 2015. She had extensive experience in patient education while in the private sector and feels well qualified to assist CMPF in curriculum review, lesson plan development, and design and review of their educational resources for both children and adults.

Brian Murphy, a master designer and crafter, has exhibited locally and internationally.

He was a partner in Darwall Designs with his late husband of thirty years. He has been a friend of the foundation since our serendipitous meeting at a studio event. His education includes degrees from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Stonehill College and Boston College. He holds a Masters of Social Work and worked in this field for many years. His family has been personally touched by melanoma with the loss of his father to the disease at a young age.

Katie McBrine, MD is a board-certified pediatrician and Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

She is currently working at HealthCare South-Scituate Pediatrics. She grew up on the south side of Chicago. She went to medical school at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine and completed her residency at Rush University Medical Center. In addition to practicing general pediatrics, she has a passion for educating others. She trains Nurse Practitioner students for MGH and Regis College. She has given numerous community talks to families on a variety of medical topics. Most recently she gave a talk on the dangers of vaping to the entire Hingham High School. Her favorite educational activity is the Saturday Science program that she started with a friend which involves teaching K-3rd graders about women in science and then performing fun science experiments. She is thrilled to be on the advisory council of such an amazing organization whose mission is education.

Scott Naughton has enjoyed a diverse and rewarding career in the medical markets.

He has served as a high-level advisor to C-level executives at start-up companies and to world renowned physicians in the plastic surgery and dermatology markets. He has held Chief Operating Officer positions within large medical practices, and is currently the Chief Operating Officer of Skin Laser & Surgery Specialists of NY and NJ, a large medical/cosmetic/age management dermatology and plastic surgery practice. He is the Founder of Naughton Braintrust, a boutique consulting firm specializing in assembling specific, targeted intellects to develop and implement protocols to successfully resolve even the most challenging projects.

Accepted engagements are often "stealth" mode, strictly confidential assignments.From this experience he developed FractalMetrics™, a proprietary medical management program, resulting in very significant improvements in revenue, procurement and all other aspects of managing a medical practice.Examples of start-up companies where Scott Naughton played an integral role as an executive include DermaGraphix, the first standardized digital skin lesion mapping system for finding and tracking skin cancers; Mirror Image, the leading morphing and image database software used by dermatologists and plastic surgeons, and Ivivi Technologies which created a targeted, signal specific, miniaturized, tPEMF technology that materially increased wound closure rates and drastically reduced patient care costs.

Syril Keena Que, MD is a Board-Certified Dermatologist and Fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology.

She is an Associate Physician at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and specializes in the management and prevention of skin cancers. At our Dana Farber High Risk Skin Cancer clinics, we spend a lot of time discussing with patients chemopreventive modalities to help decrease their risk of skin cancer. I have seen the worst skin cancers and definitely feel that it is best to reach out to children when they are young, before they accumulate such harmful sun damage.

Linda Redding is the librarian at Silver Lake Regional High School in Kingston.

It was twenty years ago as librarian at Halifax Elementary School that LInda first became involved with the Children’s Melanoma Prevention Foundation when Maryellen Maguire Eisen facilitated a professional development workshop for Halifax staff. While at Halifax Elementary Linda worked with a group of students researching and producing a Boston Globe Fun Pages dedicated to being safe in the sun. Most recently Linda’s students at Silver Lake have been involved in the documentary Glenna’s Gift produced by the Children’s Melanoma Prevention Foundation and a PSA promoting Don’t Fry Day that aired on Boston morning television.

Krista Rubin, MS, RN, FNP-BC is a nurse practitioner in the Center for Melanoma at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts.

For the past 25 years she has focused almost exclusively on the care of patients with melanoma, from prevention to management of metastatic disease. She is considered an expert in areas of immunotherapy, targeted therapy, and symptom management. She lectures internationally and has authored and co-authored numerous articles on the various aspects of melanoma, treatment, and management. She is the Chair of the Melanoma Nurse Initiative, a newly formed national committee dedicated to the education of nurses in the area of melanoma and the novel treatment therapies. She was the 2010 Recipient, Excellence in Cancer Prevention and Early Detection Award, awarded by the Oncology Nursing Society, and the 2014 Recipient, ­­Outstanding Community Service Award, awarded by the Dermatology Nurses’ Association.

Ms. Rubin served on CMPF's Board of Director's from 2009 to 2017. She joined the Advisory Council to assist with patient care issues and program review.

Susan Sarni MPH is currently serving as the Executive Health Officer for the Town of Hingham following her role as Cohasset Health Director.

Susan has a bachelor’s of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing from Suffolk University. Susan completed her Master in Public Health from University of New England with her thesis concentrating on why white males over the age of 62 have higher rates of melanoma. Her educational background in Health Literacy and practical community public health experience help to educate the residents in the community. Although her field of knowledge in public health covers a wide spectrum, her passion is to educate the public of the impacts of sun damage, the importance of sunscreen, and the revision and enforcement of indoor tanning facility regulations.

Erin Presutti came to CMPF in June of 2015 with 25 years of experience in sales and marketing, as well as development and administration.

Her background includes time spent with a mutual fund company, managing her own jewelry party business, and with a local private school. Erin looks forward to contributing to the foundation’s mission by supporting Maryellen’s administrative and development goals.

Maura Flynn has been a dermatology nurse for over thirty years working at some of Boston's most prestigious medical centers.

She received an Associates Degree in Nursing from Excelsior College, a Bachelor's of Science in Health Care Administration and a Master's of Arts in Public Policy both from New England College. She holds a Dermatology Nurisng Certification (DNC) and is the Past President of the Dermatology Nurses' Association. She is a member of the DNA's Health Policy & Advocacy Committee, advocating for nurses and patients both locally and nationally. She is the winner of the 2017 Dermatology Nurses' Association President's Award. As a Certified Occupational Safety Specialist, she has trained staff on safety protocols. She is a grandmother, avid skiier, and lover of jazz and blues music.

Save

Martin Touhey has been a SunAWARE Educator for the Children's Melanoma Prevention Foundation since 2007.

Prior to this, he was a teacher at the Halifax Elementary School for 30 years. Martin holds a B. S. in Elementary Education from Boston State College and a Masters in Integrated Studies from Cambridge College. He is the past Chairman of the Halifax Cultural Council and now serves on the Halifax School Council. Martin is an avid beekeeper and gardener.